After the overthrow of then-leader Moammar Gadhafi in 2011, Libya has been in a constant state of political unrest. Since 2014, the Government of National Accord (GNA) and the Libyan National Army (LNA)  have sought control over the country, sparking a destructive civil war. Based in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, the GNA is recognized by the United Nations. Allied with General Khalifa Hifter, the Benghazi-based LNA receives aid from Russia, France and the United Arab Emirates. 

Libyan civilians have endured chaos, including shelling near the front lines, injuries from explosive devices and abductions for ransom. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that 1.3 million Libyans require urgent humanitarian assistance.

Armed Conflict and War Crimes 

Weapons proliferation has been a major security concern in Libya, as allied countries provide the GNA and LNA with advanced military equipment. State-provided arms transfers make Libya a volatile battleground. Currently, the country has the world's largest uncontrolled ammunition supply, with an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 metric tons of uncontrolled munitions. Yacoub El Hillo, the U.N.’s resident and humanitarian coordinator in Libya, announced, “The increasing use of explosive weapons has resulted in unnecessary loss of life, displacement, destruction and damage to vital civilian infrastructure.” The Islamic State group has also used the country as a hub to coordinate broader regional violence, further complicating efforts to create a united government. 

In April 2019, Khalifa Hifter’s forces attacked Tripoli, resulting in over 1,000 fatalities. As General Hifter continues his campaigns, the International Criminal Court (ICC) warns of potential war crimes, including mass murder, desecration of corpses and kidnappings. In a statement to the U.N. Security Council, chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda accused the LNA of targeting innocent civilians: "Of particular concern to my Office are the high numbers of civilian casualties, largely reported to be resulting from airstrikes and shelling operations. Intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population or against individual civilians not taking direct part in hostilities is a war crime under the Rome Statute. Likewise, the Rome Statute prohibits the intentional directing of attacks against hospitals and other buildings protected under international law, such as those dedicated to religion or education, when they are not military objectives." 

Civilian Victims and Internal Displacement 

Due to ongoing conflict, nearly 400,000 Libyans have been forced to flee their homes and are now internally displaced. According to UNICEF, Libyan hospitals and schools serve as shelters for thousands of displaced civilians around Tripoli. Yet, with military forces continually targeting these makeshift shelters, Libyans face inadequate access to health care, essential medicines, food, safe drinking water and education. School has been suspended indefinitely for nearly 200,000 children, leaving them susceptible to abuse, human trafficking and violence.

Given the lack of eyewitnesses and credible reports, experts can only estimate the total number of fatalities since 2011. Small Arms Survey, a research-based organization, suspects that approximately 27,000 people have perished in the nine-year-long dispute. 

Migrants, Refugees and Asylum-Seekers 

Within this war-torn nation, there are currently 654,000 migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers, mainly from sub-Saharan Africa. Approximately 90% of people crossing the Mediterranean Sea to Europe depart from Libya. Migrants and asylum-seekers who are captured at sea and returned to Libyan territory are detained in centers run by the GNA’s Interior Ministry, where many suffer inhumane conditions including sexual violence, extortion and forced labor. While the GNA manages formal migrant detention centers, smugglers and traffickers run numerous informal facilities. “Those interned there, mainly refugees, keep dying of diseases and hunger. They are victims of violence, rape and arbitrary treatment at the hands of militias,” said Julien Raickmann, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) chief in Libya. Since January, more than 4,000 migrants have been intercepted at sea and returned to Libya, while hundreds have disappeared altogether. Despite threats of detention, migrants and asylum-seekers still venture to Libya, hoping to reach Europe. 

Humanitarian Relief 

After nine years of instability, thousands of Libyan civilians and migrants face displacement, malnutrition and violence. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) launched the 2020 Humanitarian Response Plan, which pledges $115 million in relief efforts. Protection is at the core of this plan, as well as the provision of food, shelter, health care, water and sanitation. The U.N.’s refugee agency, UNHCR, will also work at 12 disembarkation points in Libya to aid and protect migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers. At detention centers, they will provide humanitarian assistance and mitigate maltreatment. These organizations seek durable solutions to prevent another decade of turmoil.

Shannon is a Journalism major at the University of Georgia, minoring in English and Spanish. As a fluent Spanish speaker, she is passionate about languages, cultural immersion, and human rights activism. She has visited seven countries and thirty states and hopes to continue traveling the world in pursuit of compelling stories.